The invention is directed to brass ammunition casings which are treated and/or colored to render them low observable.
Modern firearms use a cartridge which includes a casing that houses a propellant, a primer, and a projectile. The design and configuration of ammunition cartridge casings have changed little over the last 75 years. For rifle and handgun ammunition, casings are typically made of brass. Brass is a preferred ammunition cartridge case material because it is a soft metal that does not unduly wear or harm the firing mechanisms of guns and rifles.
One problem with brass casings is they are shiny. They reflect light, which may be visible from long distance. For example, after firing a weapon, the casing is ejected. This occurs in manual, semi-automatic, and automatic weapons. An ejected brass casing may be observed. For instance, a machine gun ejecting casings can be seen more than a mile away. Likewise, casings lying on the ground can also be seen from long distance. In military or covert operations, there is a real need to conceal the location of machine gun or sniper positions.
Hence, there is a need for low observable brass casings. There is also a need for brass casings that have color coatings for other purposes, such as for quick identification of ammunition type or characteristic.
Thus, it would be a significant advancement in the art to provide brass casing that have been treated and colored to render them low observable. It would be a further advancement in the art to provide colored brass cartridge casings to facilitate quick identification of the ammunition type or other ammunition characteristic.
Such colored brass ammunition casings are disclosed and claimed herein.
The invention is drawn to a low observable, brass ammunition cartridge casing with an exterior surface having a colored coating which renders the cartridge casing low observable. The colored coating may be deposited onto the exterior surface by various processes, including, but not limited to, electroplating, chemical deposition, and spray painting. The colored coating may be selected from a variety of different colors, including, but not limited to, black, olive green, silver, brown, tan, gray, and white. The colors are typically obtained using conventional pigments and colorants, such as metal oxides.
As used herein, a xe2x80x9clow observablexe2x80x9d coating on the brass casing includes durable coatings and surface treatments that reduce the reflectivity of the casing, particularly with respect to visible light. Low observable coatings reflect limited visible light and blend into many ambient environments. Such coatings may be selected from dark colors, such as black or olive green. Low observable coatings may include camouflage cartridge casings, low sheen cartridge casings, and colored casings to provide identification of the ammunition and its characteristics.
Roughening the brass casing exterior surface may reduce the gloss or sheen of the casing on the colored coating. This will further reduce the observability and reflectivity of the resulting casing. The brass surface can be roughened by mechanical means, such as abrasives or particle blasting. The brass surface can also be roughened by chemical etching processes.
The invention includes ammunition cartridges containing a low observable brass casing described above. The ammunition cartridges may be prepared using conventional manufacturing equipment and techniques. The low observable ammunition cartridges will typically include a low observable brass casing, a quantity of propellant within the casing, a primer for igniting the propellant, and a projectile. The primer is usually affixed to the casing in a manner to be in communication with the propellant through a flash hole. The primer includes pyrotechnic material such as metallic fulminate or lead styphnate and may be located within the center base of the casing or on a rim.